Tragedy today at Pittsburgh Zoo

[Gaucho]

This assigning of blame and determination of fault based on limited reports is reprehensable. Ive been to this exibit many times, countless parents have held their children up to the rail. How about expressing some modicum of sympathy before ripping parents who will have to live with what happened for the rest of their lives?

[tjand72]

While the mother shouldn't have done what she did, I can't help but equate this to letting your kids ride their bikes in your subdivision's street. While you may be parent of the year for keeping your kids in a bubble, imagine if your child got hit by a car while riding his bike on a street that sees 3 cars per day. I don't think anyone would recommend sterilization if something that tragic happened. While it isn't smart, it's not something that happens on a daily basis.

[Geezer]

This assigning of blame and determination of fault based on limited reports is reprehensable. Ive been to this exibit many times, countless parents have held their children up to the rail. How about expressing some modicum of sympathy before ripping parents who will have to live with what happened for the rest of their lives?

The news people should report responsibly. Do you think a two year old committed suicide by jumping into the wild dog exhibit? Parents are responsible for protecting their kids. If the reports by numerous counts I'll rip her. i hope she suffers for the rest pf her days. The vchild deserves the sympathy , not the person totally responsible for his death.I hope she does the right thing and never has another child;she's beyond unfit.

[Spangler]

To be fair there was a 5 foot barrier to climb along with a 10-14 foot drop. Not to mention a mesh netting below that would have to be cleared on the jump. Assuming nobody there knows how to properly land from a height like that, there's a good chance of a broken leg/ankle or worse.

If they somehow managed to not get hurt from the fall, I'm sure they may have been able to drive the dogs away.

I read that the trainers don't even enter their den when they feed the dogs because they are so dangerous in their packs.

This is all easier said than done after the fact especially if you weren't there. It's not really fair to put the blame on random people at the scene. Especially if they had children with them of their own.

[Godric]

these things are approximately the size of a german shepherd (50-80 pounds). i think if several adults intervened this could have been stopped.

I thought about this when I first read the OP but I am now understanding the child died from the fall

[ulf]

This assigning of blame and determination of fault based on limited reports is reprehensable. Ive been to this exibit many times, countless parents have held their children up to the rail. How about expressing some modicum of sympathy before ripping parents who will have to live with what happened for the rest of their lives?

We're on a hockey message board, that chances are, these parents aren't going to read. I think we all realize that they feel horrible and will have a hard time living with themselves. Why do I need to preface my post with saying I feel bad (which I do), before I call them dumb? I can't imagine it happening to me, and I feel terrible for these people, but the "I'm better than you" posts are annoying.

[Geezer]

While the mother shouldn't have done what she did, I can't help but equate this to letting your kids ride their bikes in your subdivision's street. While you may be parent of the year for keeping your kids in a bubble, imagine if your child got hit by a car while riding his bike on a street that sees 3 cars per day. I don't think anyone would recommend sterilization if something that tragic happened. While it isn't smart, it's not something that happens on a daily basis.

Causing your kid to fall into a pack of wild animals is remotely akin to not checking on your kids' bike riding? I totally reject your analogy. A more apt comparison would be a kid unknowingly getting hold of matches versus letting a loaded,cocked automatic pistol in a 2 year olds toy box. I'd like to see her prosecuted for child endagerment. Give her jail time or voluntary tubal ligation. Her suffering? probably not as painful as getting mauled by wild dogs?

[Gaucho]

It is in no way a "I'm better than you" post.

[TheHammer24]

Geezer, that's not the point. Of course, it was someone's "fault." But why "blame" them? Acknowledge the horribleness of the situation and introspectively recognize that the mother made a gigantic mistake. But, if scores of parents do this all day, are the zoo must be a pretty sordid place. And are you suggesting that all of those around the pen who didn't take the child off the mother's shoulders were complicit? I just don't understand why one can't view a situation without crucifying one person.

My second point is that these keyboard heroics are embarrassing. Whoever suggested jumping into the pen with a lot of adults made a great point. But dozens of us took hours to even think about it. It's objectively impossible to predict how rational people would react Ina situations. Impossible. But people proclaim with certainty what they would have done. This is a major fallacy.

[ulf]

Yeah I can't say for sure I could jump in and help. Even without the dogs, an 11-15 foot jump give me second thoughts.

[Gaucho]

I tell you right now that I'm fairly certain I would not have jumped.

[MWB]

It is in no way a "I'm better than you" post.

Exactly. I'm not sure why people equate a post like that to mean, "I'm better than you."

[pittsoccer33]

my mom said to me on the phone "watch the police officer who intervened be cited for violating the endangered species act." after seeing a young girl get sued by the state of pa for damaging a guardrail, after losing her leg in an icy road wreck, nothing would surprise me.

[Geezer]

This assigning of blame and determination of fault based on limited reports is reprehensable. Ive been to this exibit many times, countless parents have held their children up to the rail. How about expressing some modicum of sympathy before ripping parents who will have to live with what happened for the rest of their lives?

We're on a hockey message board, that chances are, these parents aren't going to read. I think we all realize that they feel horrible and will have a hard time living with themselves. Why do I need to preface my post with saying I feel bad (which I do), before I call them dumb? I can't imagine it happening to me, and I feel terrible for these people, but the "I'm better than you" posts are annoying.

People that are responsible protecting their kids are a Helluva lot better than those who don't. Those who are moronic caring for their kids are still responsible in totally irresponsible situations. She feels bad" Tough ****. If I let my youngest 2 year old grandaughter play with a loaded gun maybe I'd feel bad. but I'd deserve prison time which this cretin deserves. There are accidents and there is criminal negligence.

[Gaucho]

And how do you know this was not an accident? Because that is exactly what it appears to be.

[NeddieVedder]

Gathering some evidence for my personal definition of the word "cretin" based on the evidence presented in this thread.

[Geezer]

I tell you right now that I'm fairly certain I would not have jumped.

No one can tell if they will do the right thing;fear overcomes people at times. Maybe cowardice would have overcame me. I've done the right thing at times and I've "frozen" at times. If I hadn't tried it would've haunted me forever. I'm 99% positive I would've jumped if it were my kid or grandkid. I might have chickened out with someone else's kid but I don't know how I could've lived with myself after. That's a question I'd like to see answered by spectators and employees to this event. I'm big on people being accountable for their behavior.

[Geezer]

Gathering some evidence for my personal definition of the word "cretin" based on the evidence presented in this thread.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretinism
Since she may not have had stunted growth so this was obviously exagerated. I'll change it to she was way too stupid and irresponsible to raise a child.

[Gaucho]

And how do you know this was not an accident? Because that is exactly what it appears to be.

[blackjack68]

Gathering some evidence for my personal definition of the word "cretin" based on the evidence presented in this thread.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretinism
Since she may not have had stunted growth so this was obviously exagerated. I'll change it to she was way too stupid and irresponsible to raise a child.

And my wishing the refs at today's game dead was harsh?

[llipgh2]

Just read a bit more about this in the P-G. The mother (34) stood the boy on the railing. Almost immediately he fell off.

What was she thinking? I know parents sometimes do things they shouldn't. Like sit kids on railings, thinking their grip is tight enough to hold to the child.

But to stand a 2 year old, who wouldn't have great balance, on a railing? Wow...this was so easily preventable.

[Gaucho]

That would be stupid and irresponsible, yes.

Anyway, enough of this.

[Geezer]

And how do you know this was not an accident? Because that is exactly what it appears to be.

It was an obviously avoidable accident unless the news reports are unbelievably wrong. If I chug a fifth of vodka and kill a 2 year old with my car in an accident and do I get a pass because I feel bad? This woman behaved unbelievably stupidly that resulted in a careless death of a defenseless 2 year old. She feels bad? Boo **** hoo.
I'm basing my opinion on raising 4 kids and my kids raising 6 grandkids. This women is responsible for causing her kids death. I feel bad for the kid and the dad if he was not present. she deserves scorn and I hope she's suffering. I think people need to be held accountable for trheir actions. She deserves jail time IMO.

[Godric]

This assigning of blame and determination of fault based on limited reports is reprehensable. Ive been to this exibit many times, countless parents have held their children up to the rail. How about expressing some modicum of sympathy before ripping parents who will have to live with what happened for the rest of their lives?

We're on a hockey message board, that chances are, these parents aren't going to read. I think we all realize that they feel horrible and will have a hard time living with themselves. Why do I need to preface my post with saying I feel bad (which I do), before I call them dumb? I can't imagine it happening to me, and I feel terrible for these people, but the "I'm better than you" posts are annoying.

People that are responsible protecting their kids are a Helluva lot better than those who don't. Those who are moronic caring for their kids are still responsible in totally irresponsible situations. She feels bad" Tough ****. If I let my youngest 2 year old grandaughter play with a loaded gun maybe I'd feel bad. but I'd deserve prison time which this cretin deserves. There are accidents and there is criminal negligence.

Lol, calm down .... Maybe you should stay away from the news for a while

[Geezer]

This assigning of blame and determination of fault based on limited reports is reprehensable. Ive been to this exibit many times, countless parents have held their children up to the rail. How about expressing some modicum of sympathy before ripping parents who will have to live with what happened for the rest of their lives?

We're on a hockey message board, that chances are, these parents aren't going to read. I think we all realize that they feel horrible and will have a hard time living with themselves. Why do I need to preface my post with saying I feel bad (which I do), before I call them dumb? I can't imagine it happening to me, and I feel terrible for these people, but the "I'm better than you" posts are annoying.

People that are responsible protecting their kids are a Helluva lot better than those who don't. Those who are moronic caring for their kids are still responsible in totally irresponsible situations. She feels bad" Tough ****. If I let my youngest 2 year old grandaughter play with a loaded gun maybe I'd feel bad. but I'd deserve prison time which this cretin deserves. There are accidents and there is criminal negligence.

Lol, calm down .... Maybe you should stay away from the news for a while

I guess I take needless deaths of toddlers more seriously than you. I've never Lold about them./ Maybe you should just stay away from my posts for awhile.